PLACEHOLDER LANGUAGE

PLACEHOLDER LANGUAGE

AI is a technological advancement that has been met with criticism and suspicion, especially in the academic arena.  COMM 2100 – Professional Communication, taught by Deirdre Simmons, is a redesigned course that embraces AI and promotes its practical and ethical use through contextual learning, Socratic questioning , and lectures within the context of professional communication.  The text used is “Clear Communication, Powerful Results,” and some of the course objectives are to:

• Identify and analyze ethical issues in AI through real-world professional case studies.

• Apply ethical decision frameworks to AI-driven crisis communication situations.

• Utilize AI tools to develop innovative solutions for communication challenges faced by organizations.

• Design and implement effective AI-powered social media campaigns to mitigate organizational crises.

• Create reports and cover letters that are AI-assisted, and student-edited to reflect their authentic voice

Algebra-Based Introductory Physics, taught by Dr. Aslı Tandoğan, integrates AI-powered teaching tools developed using open-source generative AI models (Ollama), hosted on a server provided by CLAS IT (Eric Soares). The system includes custom-built Model Context Protocols (MCPs) that allow the AI to go beyond static answers by solving problems, triggering workflows, and interacting with external tools in real time.

Key Features:

• Real-time student interaction via custom User Interface

• AI functions as an in-class teaching assistant

• Covers algebra, kinematics, forces, and more

• MCPs extend AI capabilities beyond text generation

• Supports hands-on conceptual learning during lectures

Undergraduate student Jakub Pierog contributed to the development of the MCP servers used in this project.